EDITORIAL: Teen succeeds in lobbying effort

Family, friends and classmates of 13-year-old Matthew Burkart must be bursting with pride this week for his remarkable accomplishment — lobbying successfully for a change in state child labor law to permit young people his age to officiate youth soccer games.

The measure has passed both houses of the legislature, and now awaits the signature of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.

Burkhart, a Newburgh resident who attends Holy Rosary School in Evansville, did it right, lobbying lawmakers while lining up Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, and Rep. Suzanne Crouch to carry the bill forward in their respective houses.

Other sponsors included Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Evansville, and Rep. Ron Bacon, R-Chandler. The bill received no "no" votes in the Senate and only four "no" votes in the Senate.

Burkhart spent months taking with legislators, gathering petition signatures and gathering letters of support from college coaches, public officials and law enforcement officials. Crouch told the House, "This bill is the result of a young man's passion for his sport and his commitment to making a difference."

Others had deserving things to say about Burkart, but perhaps none summed it up better than Matthew himself:

"I was kind of surprise — but I was kind of not. One person can make all the difference. It doesn't matter on age, how small or how tall. One person can make all the difference in the world."